It's time to say 'Goodbye'
by Mugen no Koi
Summary: SKE48 Fanfic. Furuyanagi Pairing. Churi's thoughts and feelings about the graduation of her fellow second generation member, Furukawa Airi. [If you may, listen to "Manazashi Sayonara - Furuyanagi version" when reading this. It is their only duet song.]


_Disclaimer: Only the plot belongs to me. Nothing else. I have used some translation from the message Churi had given Airin in this story to be as realistic as possible about the whole situation of "graduation" and their feelings about it. I strictly take no credit from the translation of the message inside this!_

 **It's time to say goodbye**

 **Furuyanagi Fanfic**

I had thought it would be just another ordinary day. It was really shocking when I had asked you about Graduation so casually that night and you gave me a reply I never had thought I'd hear so soon.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was straight after work that day and we had return to the hotel room we were sharing, once again, together that night. I had just finished my bath and it was Airin's turn to dip in one.

Sitting on the bed and drying my hair with my towel, I hummed the song that was playing on the TV I had turned on a low volume.

Minutes later, Airin came out with a towel over her head, drying it with up and down motions as she walked to sit beside me. I was on the sofa with an open packet of chips and munching on them noisily when the TV programme that I had been watching started talking about highschool girls and their graduation.

Mindlessly, I had abruptly asked you a question regarding graduation, nonchalantly, not a single thought in my mind swaying towards the idea that … you might being graduating.

I mean, you'd surely come to me, discuss the matter with me before going on about it when that time comes, won't you?

"Has Airin decided about graduation?"

Swiftly and quickly you replied, "Actually, I'll be graduating at the end of March, you know?"

It was wilful of me to think so when I had spoken up and heard your answer. However, with such an unexpected, huge announcement, I completely had no idea how to react, and conversely, since it didn't feel real, I was unable to feel sad or lonely.

Raising an eyebrow, I seek further explanation. "Eh? In another 3 months?"

That night, I had thought, " _At a point that I didn't know, Airi had made the decision alone."_ and I felt it was amazing. Of course, I also sulked a bit that you didn't even come and talk to me about it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It was only a few days after had I started thinking about the graduation talk we had before.

 _When had she decided that? Why hadn't she discussed it with me?_ I felt my heart sting with each beat. Yet, I couldn't feel the reality of things.

It was still _months away_ till it _will_ happen.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The first time that I felt the reality of graduation was at last year's NHK Kouhaku Utagassen.

With Mieko and Nakanishi-san would had announced their graduation on Christmas day the previous year, everyone was lonely and sad enough. Though, I was the only one or the only few who had known that you were soon to graduate and. Quietly, I was thinking, "This is Airin's last time too."

Hoping to reduce, even if a little, of the painful and sad feeling I had suppressed inside my heart, I went to look for her.

"No matter what, let's try our best." I told her.

"Yea, let's try our best!" she replied, smiling widely at me. It was a sign that she had sensed what I was feeling when I had called out to her.

Being the first time we had wished each other that, the reality of realising that next year, she wouldn't be beside me, came crashing down hard on me once more.

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Months flew by and it was the day you made your graduation announcement.

"Airin." I called out to her. The stage had ended and everyone was either gathering their things, packing up or changing out of the costumes into their own casual clothes.

"Churi? What's wrong?" Turning to me, her smile faded upon seeing me. "Come on, don't cry."

 _Crying? I hadn't even realise that I was._

Slowly, she reached her hand out to my cheeks and wiped my tears away. She didn't take away her hand even after she was done with my tears, instead she started caressing my cheeks. Her smile returning to her face. It wasn't forced, it was genuine. At least that's what I think.

"Come with me." Her hand on my cheeks went searching for my hand and she pulled me away out of the changing room and into a corner where it was secluded.

I looked up at her wondering what she was up to and waited patiently. Holding my hand tighter, her other hand went to brush stray hair that stuck to my face, off it. She leaned in closer until she finally enveloped me in a tight embrace.

"It's alright." She said. "We'll always be friends. I promise. And you know that I'm not the type of person to break such promises." She whispered into my ears as she rubbed my back soothingly. "Cry all you want for now, I'll let you. But," she pulled away slightly so she could look directly into my eyes. "You'll be smiling from tomorrow onwards and until my graduation. I want to leave with a smile. And I want you to send me off with a smile, with everyone else. No sad graduation."

Listening to her words, I nodded as tears started pouring down my face and I began to bawl my eyes out. "I- *hic* I will promise you that *hic* I will send you off with a smile. *hic*"

As she continued rubbing my back and patting the back of my head with her other hand, I hid my face in the crook of her neck. I gripped the hems of her shirt tightly.

-x-x-x-x-

Before I knew it, it was the day of her graduation.

"Churi." I jolted out of my thoughts, feeling that someone tapped my shoulders.

It was Airin, with a grin on her face she held her hand out to me.

"Let's go." She said. "We'll make this a fun performance for everyone. And I will leave with a smile on my face."

Taking her hand without any hesitation, I shot her my best smile.

"Of course!" my voice I squeaked out.

 _It would definitely be hard to deal with her graduation and feeling a sense of lost from realising that she wouldn't be by my side anymore. Nonetheless, I want to fulfil my promise with her._

Holding back my tears, I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath.

"S-K-E-4-8!"

The overture began.

Taking a few more deep breaths, I patiently waited for the overture to end.

"Are-you-ready?!"

With that, it was time for our stage.

-x-x-x-x-


End file.
